Misted Breath
by usernamesarehardyo
Summary: When snow is unblemished, it's gorgeous. Glistening white, with what seems to be a billion little crystals in it when the light catches it just right. A seemingly endless expanse of beauty and perfection that you could get lost in. But nothing is truly perfect, and Elsa knew that more than anybody. Even Jack Frost pertains to this rule, but he definitely pushed the limits. Jelsa.
1. Chapter 1

"It's cold."

I looked up from the papers in front of me and frowned at my sister, who was visibly shivering. "Then why are you out of the castle?"

Anna shrugged, her cloak shifting with the movement. "You looked lonely."

I smiled at her, setting the papers down and patting the spot next to me. Anna took the invitation in stride, plopping down next to me on the fountain. Sometimes I wondered who had really raised her, because she didn't act like a royal at all.

"It is awfully cold, isn't it?" I asked.

Anna chuckled. "As if it bothers you."

I grinned over at her. "You should really go back inside."

She ignored me, leaning back on her hands and looking up at the clouds. "It'll be snowing soon for sure." She shot a side-glance at me. "That's not you, is it?"

I shook my head. "Believe it or not," I said, "winter isn't caused by me."

"Well …" Anna started.

I reached over and lightly hit her on the shoulder. "That was _one _time!"

"It was in the middle of summer, Elsa!" she shot back, her lips twitching. "Summer is made to be summer, not winter!"

I groaned and burried my face in my hands. Though Anna and I tended to joke about it a lot, I honestly felt horrible about what I'd done. Without meaning to, I'd cast an eternal winter across Arendelle. Sure, I'd managed to make it go away, but it had still happened, and I still regretted it.

I looked up when I felt something flutter against my neck, and heard Anna's happy gasp. "It's snowing!"

Kristoff burst out of the castle, frowning. "There you are!" he cried, hurrying for Anna. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"It's snowing, Kristoff!" Anna repeated, smiling in glee.

He rolled his eyes at her, but I caught the twinkle in his eye as he watched my sister. He was truly smitten. "Anna," he said slowly. "Elsa makes it snow all the time."

Anna snorted. "It's not the same as true, honest winter snow, though."

I gave an indignant noise and made a big deal of looking offended, but I actually agreed with her. Winter had always been, and always will be, my favorite season, and I personally loved it when it snowed. Sure, I could make it snow all I want, but it wasn't, as Anna put it, the same as actual winter snow. Well, it was, but it wasn't _winter_ snow.

"Looks like Jokul Frosti is doing his job," Kristoff quipped.

I looked up sharply. "Jokul Frosti?"

I remembered hearing stories about Jokul Frosti, the mischievous winter spirit with the abilities to make frost, and snow, and I'd even heard that he could create ice a couple of times in passing. And I also remembered wishing, _hoping_ that he was real, that I wasn't alone with my winter powers.

But he'd never shown himself, and I'd lost my belief in him even before it had fully formed.

Kristoff nodded but said nothing else on the subject. Instead, he ushered a pouting Anna into the castle, rambling about having to show her something amazing.

"Jokul Frosti," I muttered, my mind still stuck on him. "Jokul Frosti," I whispered again.

Why couldn't he have been real?

I jerked out of my head when a sheet of frost formed against the ground and began to inch toward me.

I stumbled back a step, eyes wide. Was I doing that? I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. I'd been unfocused, thinking about the fabled winter spirit. I was distracted, I could have easily frosted the ground without realizing it.

But then a letter began to form on the surface of the now-ice.

_I_

I?

The letters kept going, until it was one full word, and then two.

_I'm real._

"No." I started shaking my head, back and forth. "No way."

But saying that didn't stop my stomach from fluttering hopefully, nor did it stop the tingling that started in my chest.

"I- I didn't do that, did I?"

No one said anything to me, but I didn't need them to to know the answer.

Something, _someone_, else had made the ice, and the words that were slowly fading away.

"Jokul Frosti," I breathed, and my breath misted in front of me.

Another voice spoke from behind me.

"Actually, I prefer to be called Jack Frost."


	2. Chapter 2

I whirled around, my eyes snagging on the person that was shrouded in shadows, leaning casually against … was that a staff?

"Hello," Jack said as he gave a sarcastic bow. "Your Highness."

I reacted on instinct, giving a stiff curtsy in return. Once I was standing straight once more, I composed myself and finally managed to speak.

"Hello, Jokul."

"Jack," he insisted. "I told you already; I prefer to be called Jack."

I gave a small nod to show that I understood and clasped my hands in front of my body. "Well, Jack, if I'm correct, you're not supposed to be real."

"And yet here I am," he said with a shrug.

"Yes, I see that." I brushed away an awry strand of white-blonde hair, pushing it behind my ear. "How is that?"

Jack stayed in the shadows as he spoke. "How is it that you have your powers?"

I hesitated before answering. "I- I don't know."

"It's because you were chosen," he said. "And so was I."

And then he stepped into the light.

He was beautiful. Beautiful in a way that I had never seen before. White, fair hair similar to mine, and blue eyes that seemed to glow in the dim lighting. He was clad in plain brown trousers and a hooded shirt that I had never seen before. And it was indeed a staff that he had been leaning on, long and curved into a hook-like shape at the top.

I didn't say any of those things to him, though. Instead, I said: "You're not wearing any shoes."

Jack grinned a crooked grin at me. "Well, aren't you observant?"

The skirt of my dress rustled with the movements of my feet as I stepped forward to get a closer look at him. Something covered the top part of his coat.

"Is that frost?"

Jack leaned against his staff once again and sighed. "Yes, it is."

"Wow," I whispered as I observed the rest of him. He was extremely pale, and a bit boy-ish looking, but something about him hinted that he was older than he looked.

"Don't 'wow' just yet," he scolded. "You haven't even seen what I can do, just as I haven't seen what you can do. Speaking of which, let me see those mysterious powers that have everyone riled up."

I blinked at him. "Pardon?"

"Your powers," he said, and he waved his hands over me. "Let's see them."

I frowned at him. "I don't really think that that's the smartest idea."

"Why?" He leaned forward to look me over. "Is it because you're scared?"

I backed up a step. "No."

Jack spread his arms wide. "If you're not scared, then go ahead. Show me what you got."

I ground my teeth together and felt anger boil inside of me. "So what if I'm scared?" I snapped. "It's for good reason! I could easily hurt someone, or mess up!"

_I've done it before_, I added silently.

Jack's gaze softened slightly, his brow creasing as he sighed. He edged toward me cautiously, as if not to scare me. "Hey," he said said quietly. "It's okay to be scared. But I'm here, and I can help you."

I shook my head. "How do you know?" I asked, and even I could hear the desperation in my voice. "How do you know that I won't lose control? And how could you possibly help me?"

I'd been using my magic in small increments here and there, but it had been when I was certain that I could control it. It was usually when Anna prodded me to until I gave in. She really liked my 'gift' - if it could even be called that. Other people preferred the word 'curse.'

"Because you're strong, Elsa."

"No," I denied. "I'm not."

"Yes," he said, utter conviction in his voice. "You are."

I faltered. I loved using my magic, but using it frightened me. The possibilities of what might happen frightened me. "I can't."

Jack was standing right in front of me then. "Elsa," he urged. "_Let it go_."

I finally caved, and with Jack's blue eyes pushing me forward, I tentatively let my magic loose.

It started subtly at first. A slight glow in my fingers and a tingle up my arms and through my chest. But then my fingertips frosted over, and my gift really began to burst out of me.

The ground under my feet iced over in a swirling patters, and it spread all the way to the castle doors before crawling up the side. Even more snow began to fall to the ground, catching in Jack's hair and my eyelashes.

A giddy laugh burst from my lips, and Jack smiled as he took in the scene around us. It was gorgeous, white and blue and glistening. Both of our breath puffed out in clouds in front of us, and normal people would have been shivering horrendously by now, but neither of us were bothered by the cold.

"Beautiful," Jack muttered.

I think I might have blushed then. I wasn't used to compliments from anyone other than my sister and Kristoff, who was, to put it lightly, a bit of an ice lover.

"It's not much," I replied. "I've done a lot more than this. It's actually still there. I visit it sometimes, when I'm not busy with my kingdom or royal business. Anna even joins me every once in a while."

Jack turned his shocked gaze back to me. "You have to show me."

"I can't right no-" It was only then that I realized how close we were from each other. My eyes caught on his, and my sentence stuttered to a stop. After a few moments of staring at each other, I tore my gaze away and tried not to fidget. I'd always been taught that fidgeting was bad. "Anyways," I said after another moment of silence. "It's a ways away. We wouldn't be able to go right now."

Jack shifted away from me as well. "I think I might have a pretty good means of transportation," he mused.

I opened to ask him what he meant but wasn't able to because Anna burst through the door squealing. "Get in here right now, Elsa! We have stuff to talk about! Woah, what happened out here?"

I flicked my eyes between Anna and Jack before slumping my shoulders and nodding. "All right, I'll be in in a minute."

"Not in a minute! Right this instant."

I groaned and smoothed out my eyebrows before turning back to Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I have to attend to important business. Maybe I'll show you some other time."

Jack nodded. "By all means, go right ahead. I have to go talk to someone anyway." He moved to leave but stopped to say something else. "I'll be back soon. Don't miss me too much."

And then he launched himself into the air with a small chuckle. I gawked up at him as he _flew_ away.

Anna skipped over to me, tugging me back into the castle. "Hurry up, hurry up!" And then, after we were inside and the doors banged shut behind us, she added, "hey, who were you talking to?"

"You mean you couldn't see him?"

She shot me a look that clearly read that she was worried for me. "See who? You were the only one dumb enough to be outside in such a storm."

I bit the inside of my lip (something that my parents would have scolded me for). "No one. Nevermind. Now, what was it that was so important that you had to haul me inside? My papers are still out there, too."

"Oh, hush up, you can just get someone to fetch them for you. You're a queen for a reason, you know. Bossing people around comes with the territory."

I giggled.


End file.
